My ABS and Brake lights are on and won't go off. I took it into a brake guy this morning and was told that my rear brake pads were worn and my rotor needed turning. Well I paid for that and the lights are still on. I know the dealership will spot a woman coming a mile away so I am trying to avoid them at all cost. Any suggestions welcomed. One other thing although I doubt it is related, none of the lights were on until I replaced my battery last week.
It does sound fishy... If you go to Auto Zone or Advance Auto they'll hook up a scan tool to your car's computer and tell you what the codes mean (maybe). I suspect the "ABS" and "BRAKE" light are on because your ABS system is off line. It could be related to the installation of the new battery. It seems unlikely, but the fact that you didn't have the problem before could be significant. Two no-buck things you could try: 1. Check the fuse(s) for the ABS system -your owner's manual should tell you where to find them. 2. Remove the ground (-, negative, black..) cable and leave is disconnected for a half-minute or more. This will reboot your car's ECM (computer) and may (...or may not) permanently / temporarily clear error codes...and wipe out all the presets on your radio and the time on your clock! Be aware that your ABS system is probably not working at the moment. Good luck!
go by an advance auto or something and tell them you have warning lights and would like them to read the codes for you. they won't reset them, but they'll tell you what the car is telling them, and no charge. you didn't say what kind of vehicle, but on my chevy s-10 pickup, the abs light came on when the abs module failed. if that's the case, you'd still have brakes, but the abs wouldn't work. it was stupid expensive to fix, too, like close to 1000 for the part alone. also, i wouldn't discount the part about it happening when you replaced the battery. disconnecting power and reconnecting it will sometimes cause the computer to reset the codes, then it will have the issues again as if for the first time. how long have you had the car? was it used when you bought it? that's possible, too.
Thanks to both of you guys and I apologize for not saying it is a SAAB and I did buy it used. I am going to Advanced Auto today. I hesitated about the dealership - cost for one and I am a little apprehensive. I had the ac serviced (not by the dealership) and my car started vibrating. I specifically told the dealership it has something to do with my ac and they said it was something else. Charged me an arm and a leg and some of the vibration was still there. I went back and they said the ac was overcharged and released the pressure. Never vibrated again, so they are my last resort. Again thanks and I will let you guys know the outcome.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Well it turns out that my ABS module needs replacing. First quote for $2800 but found out they can be rebuilt for ~$200. Whew. If I can get another year out of it I'll be thankful. Just wanted to say thanks for the posts.
not to minimize the need for repair-but remember-if your ABS light is on you STILL have conventional brakes-just your anti lock brake system is disengaged. You can still drive it like that-just be aware of NO abs! In my line of work we've seen alot of abs lights-and 9 out of 10 are a faulty rwal sensor,and alot of the customers decide to wait to repair it until times get a little better!
You are so right about still having the conventional brakes. But I guess the safety feature in my car must be a little bit different than some other cars. I have a Saab and what happens in my case is my speedometer goes to zero. I am not a good judge of speed and with towns using every speed trap there is to collect revenue and having already had 2 tickets, I can't trust my speed judgment. If my speedometer worked, I probably would never fix it.
